


So Help Me God

by Della_Aarohi



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23737477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Della_Aarohi/pseuds/Della_Aarohi
Summary: Injured in a war and hardened by betrayal, she knew the moment she saw him that they would never be a family again. There was no forgiveness for her to get especially since he had claimed another.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author, Della Aarohi. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note:

Good day all. I bring you all nothing but good wishes and love today. Please visit my profile page for an update on all of my works and I sincerely hope you enjoy the following.

Hugs, kisses and best wishes,  
Della.

So Help Me God  
Prologue

If there was one lesson that Angela had learnt in the last five years or so, it was that life had such a funny way of ripping you to shreds after you veered off the path that it had carved for you and to be honest, she deserved every bit of pain and misfortune that had befallen her.

Their love story was like that of a fairy tale.

They met when he was sixteen and she was fifteen. She was the quiet daughter of a pastor and he was the popular son of a doctor. She lived a simple life surrounded by strict rules and little privacy while he lived in luxury and extravagance. Where she was criticized and judged at every turn, his parents praised and celebrated his every accomplishment. Their interests were different. Their upbringings were polar opposites. No relationship between the two of them should work but the love they had for each other was strong.

It was on his nineteenth birthday that he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. She would never forget that night. 

She had spent so much of her time that week making sure that the school paper was released on time that she forgot to purchase a gift for his birthday. When the weekend came around and the pair could finally spend a day together hiking through the trails as they always did, she asked him if there was anything in particular he wished to have for his birthday. 

She saw the moment her always confident boyfriend became a ball of nervousness. His fingers started to tug relentlessly at his beautiful copper hair. Flashing her, his signature crooked smile that always left her a bit speechless, he kissed her knuckles gently before leading them to the top of the trail that led to a beautiful cliff overlooking the vast ocean below. The pair sat in silence sharing a simple meal of sandwiches and bottles of water until Edward finally answered the question she had asked some time ago.

“There is only one thing I want for my birthday this year and what I want is for you to be mine,” he had whispered just as the sun was setting, his vivid green eyes shining with emotion while his trembling hands held the engagement ring that had been passed down from generation to generation in the Cullen family. “Become my one and only Mrs. Edward Anthony Cullen.”

She had shrieked her acceptance to his proposal as she threw herself into his arms. Happy tears were shed by both as they sealed their engagement with the sweetest kiss.

It seemed fitting then, that they wed just months later on her eighteenth birthday.

It was everything she dreamt that her wedding would be. No expense was spared though it was money that was spent quite grudgingly. Edward's family, particularly his mother, was not in agreement with Edward marrying his high school sweetheart. They thought both of them needed to experience life a bit more before making such a commitment but neither Angela nor Edward listened to a word they had to say.

They honeymooned at a beautiful lake house owned by one of Edward's uncles. She did not particularly care for her wedding night. While Edward gained only pleasure from their coupling, she was left feeling sore and slightly in pain. After she recovered though, her new husband was nothing short of a very attentive lover and soon she found herself addicted to his touch.

The pair, soon after returning from their honeymoon, began attending the University of Seattle. Edward had gone into the field of engineering while Angela ventured into the field of education. As a belated wedding gift to Edward and Angela, Edward’s grandparents bought a small condominium close to the university campus for them while his parents generously paid both of their tuitions. 

Their class schedules were somewhat aligned and they were able to spend quite a bit of time together. She loved nothing more than to sit on the tiny balcony attached to their bedroom and study with Edward. Edward was still the same sweet man she knew; dropping her to classes and picking her up if his schedule would allow it. He was her protector who bundled up in a wrinkled sweater with a beanie on top of his head, waiting for her outside the library when she had stayed late some nights.

For the first time in her life, Angela was the ‘it’ girl. After all, she had to be something special to have landed a man as gorgeous and amazing as Edward. 

As time passed, though, she noticed that her husband was not quite himself. He was quiet and a bit withdrawn. He did not seem to have the zeal for life that he had. She found herself constantly on edge, wondering if she had done or said something that caused the change she saw in him. Try as she might, though, she never could gather the courage to question him. 

She found out what troubled him eventually when, after a lovely picnic at a lake, he confessed that he was considering joining the United States Marine Corps. Edward told her that one of the men in one of his classes had previously served as a Marine but was given a honourable discharge after he had been injured during combat. 

He told her this man, James was his name, had awoken in him a passion and desire to belong to something much bigger than himself and if she gave him her approval, he would enlist immediately and James was willing to pull some strings to get Edward into training quickly. 

She knew Edward wanted her immediate agreement but she was very hesitant. She begged him to give her a few days to think things through. He understood her reluctance and said nothing more about the subject. However, she saw the desire and drive to enlist burning in his eyes and just two days after the picnic, she gave Edward her blessing.

If she had known then what she knew now, she would never have let him enlist. Maybe, she thought, if she would have been willing to confess to him how much she needed him and asked him to stay; just maybe all of this could have been avoided.

How could she shatter his dreams though?

How could she ask him to give up this one thing when he already gave her so much? 

Instead, she bit her tongue and hoped to God she would be able to cope with him joining the military. 

They had one more month together before Edward left to go to San Diego for his military training. She heard very little from him for the next thirteen weeks as he was heavily involved in his drilling. She struggled greatly during that time. She missed Edward terribly. Many nights she found herself silently weeping into one of his hoodies while curled up in bed. Both his and her parents visited her frequently but it was never enough to chase away the loneliness she felt.

His graduation day soon came and all she could remember of that day was the overwhelming pride at seeing her husband dressed in his military attire. He was no longer the lanky man that she knew. Instead, he was six feet of pure muscle and carried himself with a sense of confidence and restrained power. Angela would admit to being very turned on by her husband's new physique and she spent the greater part of the following week relearning every bit of him.

Exactly one month after Edward completed his training, he was deployed on his first tour to Iraq. She threw herself into her studies in an attempt to forget that her husband was thousands of miles away from her in a warzone. He called her when he could and every time he sported a goofy grin, his handsome face covered in dust and grime and the tell tale gleam of a content man in his eyes. He made sure that she used his salary to pay for whatever she needed while he was able to continue his own studies during his tour as he shot through the ranks at every possible opportunity.

None of it mattered to her though. All she wanted was for him to return to her and he did just that. Every time without fail h returned; maybe a little more haunted and a little more bruised but he came back to her after each tour overseas. She never felt his love for her wane. She was treated like a queen and he made sure that the world knew how deeply he loved and cherished her.

Edward waited until she graduated with a degree in early childhood education and had found a well paying job closer to both his and her families in Forks before asking her to have a child with him. She agreed even if she had some hesitations about bringing a child into the world when her husband and child’s father would be so far away from her. With a child, she would have a piece of Edward with her and if she was lucky, maybe having a child would be the encouragement Edward needed to leave the Marine Corps behind. 

When he returned from his second tour, he surprised her by getting stationed on a base close to home. She got pregnant very quickly since she struggled to keep her hands to herself because her husband looked like a Greek god. She loved the raw passion he seemed to ooze. He treated her as sweetly as he always did, showering her with soft kisses filled with love and warm embraces that always seemed to calm. Then there were times when he would slam her against a wall and have his way with her. She craved those times the most.

As soon as they confirmed her pregnancy, Edward was there with her at every doctor’s appointment, for every midnight craving and four a.m. contraction. When their son,Jonael Edward Cullen was born, Angela looked on as her husband and son formed an unbreakable bond. He gave everything to and for his son and by the time her husband left for his third tour in Afghanistan, just days after their son’s first birthday, she knew without a doubt that she had no hope of being her son’s favourite parent. 

Her husband's departure marked the beginning of the end of their marriage, in her eyes.

Both her parents and in-laws were so smitten with their grandchild that they jumped at any chance to babysit. As a result of having a never ending supply of babysitters, she was left with a lot of free time to reconnect with friends; friends who liked to spend their days trying to preserve their dwindling youth. 

She could attempt to blame her stupidity on a number of things, from alcohol to her own immaturity. Maybe she had become too spoilt by having a man who was solely devoted to her and had decided to test her boundaries? Or maybe she just wanted to be touched again and the dark haired stranger across the bar looked like too good of an opportunity to pass up?

The reality was that she was the problem. She was the one whose love had waned after little to no contact with her husband over a period of six months after he returned to Afghanistan. She was the one who had crawled into another man's as a way to give her husband the finger after a fifteen minutes video call between him and his son and she was never once acknowledged.

In that one moment of anger driven idiocy, she became the textbook definition of the woman who had everything but chose to seek comfort in the bed of another man. 

She scrubbed her skin raw after she returned home from the man’s apartment. She cried herself to sleep that night and every so often, she would jump in her sleep as if haunted by the man’s touch.

Everything her husband had done had been for her and their son. Every moment he put himself in danger was for them. She knew this but she could not stop. Her one night stand turned into an affair even though she knew that should anyone find out about her affair, whatever she had been craving, she would have sacrificed her greatest love for nothing. 

It was her own brother, Elijah, who informed her husband and family about her crimes after he had discovered her affair.

Angela would eventually learn that Elijah happened to overhear an absurdly intoxicated man telling his friends about the woman he was screwing while her husband was overseas in the war. For more than an hour, her brother listened, with growing disgust, as this man spat out increasingly scandalous details of the affair to the great amusing and pleasure of the man’s cohorts. Her brother was about to call it a night, no longer able to stomach the conversation occurring next to him when he heard the words that made his blood boil.

“Cullen was such a hotshot in high school. So busy saving the world, he doesn't know that I’m the one fucking his wife.”

Those words were like a red flag being waved in front of a bull. Without any conscious thought of his actions, Elijah lunged towards the man and grabbed hold of him. Quickly, he delivered some sharp, bruising punches upon the piece of scum before throwing him from the bar with some parting words, “You could thank Cullen for teaching me how to throw a punch.”

The next time Angela dropped her son at her parents’ home for the night, her brother followed her. He had sat for hours in the car, watching her adulterous behaviour at a restaurant in Seattle. He saw every touch, embrace and kiss that the pair shared and it once again ignited a white hot rage within him.

His need to know how deeply his sister’s affair went, propelled him into following the pair to the hotel where they always spent their nights. As the seconds ticked by, his rage grew to the point where he began to draw attention to himself. 

The moment Elijah saw Angela step out of the elevator, he erupted. He yelled until he was hoarse and called her every slur he could think of. He shamed her so deeply and he even drew the ire of the crowd that had gathered by telling them that her husband was currently overseas serving in the army and she was cheating on him with a complete moron.

“What are you doing, Angela? Your husband, the husband who loves you is fighting a war and you get bored and start fucking that jackass. You have a son. A son. And this is where you are? On your back? You are nothing more than a slut.”

Those words are words she would never forget. She felt as if she had been branded with them by her brother’s blazing fury.

As much as she pleaded with her brother to keep her secret, he would hear none of it. He was not willing to allow her to embarrass her husband any further and by the time she arrived at her parents’ home later that morning to collect her son, it was very apparent that her brother had already blown the whistle. 

She could bear the shame in her parents’ eyes and the coldness from her husband's family but her heart shattered when she met her husband's gaze during a video call several days later as he begged her to tell him that it was all untrue. 

Knowing that she could not lie anymore, she confessed everything. She saw the looks of absolute hate and repugnance that were thrown her way by the soldiers who overheard the conversation she was having with her husband. Edward said nothing to her no matter how much she pleaded with him to speak to her. His heartbreak was etched into every line on his face. His tears fell silently from his eyes and onto his uniform. In that singular moment when he learnt about her infidelity, Edward experienced such a shift in his emotions and thoughts that he struggled to string a coherent sentence together. He opted to simply end the call without saying a word to her.

She sent countless emails, endless voice messages and attempted to have several video calls with her husband but he would have none of it. 

He continued to speak with their son and if nothing else, the bond between father and son only strengthened. Jonael, at the tender age of three and who was blessed with his father's intelligence, could sense that something was terribly wrong and began lashing out at his mother. His tantrums were so horrendous that Edward’s father and mother had to take their grandson into their home.

Her once perfect life was thrown into complete chaos. She compared her life to a pendulum. Her husband was the pivot and now that he had severed their bond, her life had been left to free fall into an abyss.

Could she blame her husband for how destroyed all of her relationships were? Her parents were greatly ashamed of her so much so that they spoke very little too her. Her brother treated her as if she was a stranger. He never acknowledged her and forbade his wife and children from visiting Angela. He childishly partook in all of the gossip surrounding her and he made it his point to tell her that he stood with Edward. 

When Edward returned from what would be his last tour, he returned to Forks with a Bronze Star Medal, an honourable discharge and a near fatal injury that cost him a leg.

Seeing him struggle to piece his life together was excruciating. He moved in with his parents and their son and Angela used any excuse she could think of to visit Edward and Jonael. During her visits, Edward treated her with a cool indifference. He was no longer her kind and attentive husband. Instead, he made it clear that she was simply the mother of his child; a point he made very clear when he filed for divorce. 

She tried to prolong their divorce, begging her husband through the courts to attend couples counseling but Edward was not forgiving. Injured in a war and hardened by betrayal, Edward had a very different perspective to life and she was forced to admit that they would never be a family again. There was no forgiveness for her to get but the respect that he had shown her, crippled her greatly. She had expected a ruthless fight especially when it came to their son but there was no fight to be had. He had given her everything: the house, the cars and more than half of their money. He had been awarded custody of their son though. As the judge had said to her quite bluntly, "Your son simply does not want to live with you."

"Mrs. Cullen?" The waitress called softly, pulling Angela away from her painful thoughts. "Are you sure you don't want to order something while you wait? You've been waiting for over thirty minutes now."

"It’s Weber. I have not been Cullen in about two years and no, thank you," Angela said with a sad smile as she gathered her purse and coat. "If he hasn't showed up by now, he won't be coming."

With a heavy heart, she walked out of the singular diner in Forks, ignoring the whispers that followed her, and headed to her car only to be stopped in her tracks by her ex-husband.

"Angela," he said in a toneless voice. "I just spied you in the window of the diner. Were you waiting for someone?"

"Yes, but they were called away at the last minute and we had to cancel," Angela lied with a bright smile plastered on her face.

"You were always a poor liar Angela. If you were waiting on Ben, he was at The Cliffs not too long ago with Lauren as his companion," her husband said bluntly.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Angela whispered in a broken voice, lowering her head in an attempt to hide her tears. "What goes around comes around. Isn't that what you said?"

"Angela, as much you have hurt me and caused me pain, I cannot and will not ever wish pain on you," he said, broadening his stance and holding his hands behind his back, a posture characteristic of his time in the military. “I just wanted to remind you about Jonael’s birthday party this weekend.”

His eyes had always been an open book to her. She could always tell what he felt by just looking at those emerald coloured eyes. Not too long ago, his eyes held only love and adoration for her. She fought against the shiver that threatened to surge through her body as she thought about how his eyes had burned with his lust and desire for her, but now when he looked at her, all she saw was a chilling emptiness that froze her to her core.

"I remember," she sighed, still looking at his eyes. “I’ll bring some pizza and fried chicken.”

“That's not necessary. It's all being handled,” Edward said with clear disinterest, taking time to check the Rolex in his wrist.

“Can you act like you don't hate me,” Angela snapped.

"I don't hate you. In fact, I think very little of you. I have much better things to occupy my time," he confessed, his eyes flaring with what Angela could only describe as passion.

Before their conversation could go any further, one of the men who worked for Edward appeared at his side.

“Mr. Cullen, we’re ready to leave. She is in the car,” the man said, completely ignoring Angela.

“Thank you, Benjamin,” Edward said as he turned to face the man as one of Edward's heavily tinted Range Rovers pulled alongside them. 

"Who is she?" Angela pulled back, stunned.

"Who she is, is not any of your concern, Angela," Edward shrugged in indifference.

"Do you have a girlfriend? Do you love her?" Angela rattled out, a burst of unexplainable jealousy surging through her. 

"No, Angela. I do not love her. You showed me not too long ago that a woman cannot love a man hardened or damaged by war like I was so I will not love again. My children will gain it all. I will do everything for my children. They are my only loves," he responded.

"Children? Edward, what children? You only have a son," Angela reeled back, unable to comprehend what Edward was saying only to be stopped by the sadistic smirk that flitted across Edward's face. "What have you done, Edward?" Angela whispered hoarsely after a few seconds, panic rushing through her.

"I simply saw an opportunity and took it. Consequences be damned. To the victor goes the spoils."

The chilling, monotone manner that her ex-husband used confirmed one thing in her mind. She had destroyed the heart of a good man and in his place, a beast had surfaced and if her gut was to be trusted, that beast had already set its sight on a beauty.


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author, Della Aarohi. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note:

Good day all. Here is the first chapter of So Help Me God. Please note that changes were made to the prologue so you may want to reread it. This chapter turned out much longer than I intended. I do hope you all enjoy it. 

Hugs, kisses and best wishes,  
Della.

So Help Me God  
Chapter One

Isabella “Bella” Marie Swan stifled a groan of pain as she helped situate her father onto his hospital bed as his physical therapy session came to an end.

“You're making progress, Chief. It is slow but it's there,” the hospital’s physical therapist smiled encouragingly. “You just have to keep doing the exercises that I have shown you and you will be up and running in no time.”

“Thanks, Cheryl,” Charlie panted slightly, wiggling about to get into a more comfortable position.“I really could not have done this without you and Bella here.”

With a slight laugh, Cheryl, a plump and peace loving woman, who was well into her fifties, reached over to help Bella adjust the bed coverings over Charlie’s legs. “I’m just doing my job. Your daughter is your true champion. You really lucked out in the daughter department, you know.” 

“Don't I know it,” Charlie whispered, trying desperately to keep his tears at bay as he turned to look at his daughter who already had a glass of water waiting for him to sip on.

Oblivious to Charlie’s inner turmoil, Cheryl proceeded to fill out the necessary paperwork for Charlie’s discharge before turning to the young woman who had taken up residence on the tiny cot at the corner of Charlie’s room since he had been admitted to the hospital eight days age

“Bella, sweetie, remember how I told you that I mentioned to my Mark that you were back in town? Well, he is bringing his family over next weekend and we were hoping that you would agree to join us for dinner on Saturday. He really wants to introduce his wife and kids to the little girl who married him at six years old,” Cheryl laughed as she took a seat next to Bella. Cheryl’s heart broke as she saw how exhausted Bella looked. The tiny beauty next to her was in desperate need of a long, hot shower, a decent meal and a proper night’s rest but no one had been able to convince Bells to leave her father's side.

“I will definitely try to make it,” Bella consented with a soft smile that failed to reach her eyes. 

“I will come pick you up myself and between Billy, Sarah and Jake, I will know where to find you if you run,”Cheryl teased. 

“I’ll be there. Just tell me when,” Bella blushed as she awkwardly pulled her tangled hair into a messy bun on top of her head.

“Six. Saturday evening. No. Make it five. That way I can have you all to myself before Matt and his family arrives. I’ll make sure to mix up an extra strong batch of margaritas and you and I can talk about all the single boys in this town. Unfortunately, since Matt is off the market, I think it's only fair that I help you find another husband,” Cheryl offered, causing Bella to laugh. 

“Sounds fun,” Bella said indulgently. “Though it may be hard to find someone to beat Matt. He did proposed to me with one of your chocolate chip cookies,

“That's why the little brat always wanted me to bake those cookies!” Cheryl guffawed. “My little Prince Charming. Winning the girls over by stuffing them full of cookies since 1990.” 

Sharing a laugh with Bella, Cheryl stood and gathered her belongings after entering her recommendation for Charlie’s therapy into his discharge file. Stopping at the door to give her goodbyes, Cheryl could not help the fond smile that bloomed across her face as she looked back at Bella. “It really is so good to have you back, Bella. I hope you decide to stay.”

With one more parting wave, Cheryl left the father and daughter pair in a very uncomfortable silence. Neither one knew how to act in each other's presence. They were both terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing so it seemed as though they had come to an unspoken agreement to not speak unless absolutely necessary. 

So many years had passed since the pair had spent any time together. Their relationship laid in shambles. Had Bella been a different person, she would have washed her hands of her father and his family a long time ago. If she had done that, her actions would have been easily justifiable. Everyone in the small town of Forks knew what occurred between Bella and her father when he remarried and while she had many champions who were willing to intervene on her behalf, Bella simply shouldered her burden and carried on with her life, piecing it together as best she could.

“Bells,” her father called just loud enough to be heard over the rhythmic beeping of the monitors he was attached to. He felt the need to say something to his daughter after watching the exchange between her and Cheryl. “Can you ever forgive me?” His heartbreak and guilt permeated every word.

“Dad, it’s all in the past. Let’s just see about getting you to your home and on your feet again,” Bella responded just as softly; her gaze not shifting from the hospital papers in front of her.

“Sue should have never done what she did. Demanding that you pay those bills. She could have taken money from our retirement fund,” Charlie fumed as his hands balled themselves into fists.

“Dad, let’s not think about it. It’s paid for already,” Bella lied in what she hoped was a convincing manner. In truth, she had months to go before she paid off the exorbitant medical bill her father had incurred. 

“But how Bella? You still haven't gotten a position at a school and you work in that disgusting bar. I know you don't make much so you definitely could not afford to pay off those bills,” Charlie argued.

Sighing softly, Bella placed the papers down before standing and walking over to her father’s bedside.“Dad, enough!” Bella said in a gentle yet forceful voice. “Let me worry about that for now.”

“Bells….”Her father started once more only to be shushed by his daughter.

“No,” she said gently, kissing him softly on his head. “I don’t want to hear it. The hospital bills are being handled. Sam, Jake and Seth have fitted the house to your needs and the nurse will be there from the morning to help you get back on your feet.”

“Bella, none of that is cheap. What did I do to deserve having such a daughter like you?” Charlie asked.

Unable to answer, Bella simply shrugged her shoulders before retaking her seat. “ You should rest. You will need a lot of energy later.”

“Sounds good,” Charlie yawned. “ Therapy really kicks my butt.” 

As Bella watched her father drift off to sleep, she felt as if another tiny part of her heart broke off from the already abused organ and died. She found herself taking deep breaths as she desperately fought back the tears that threatened to fall. For the past eight days, she had been running on pure adrenaline. She was far beyond the point of being able to remember if she ate or slept. Her days had seamlessly blended together and she could feel her body crumbling under the weight of what she carried upon her shoulders. 

She remembered all too well the absolute horror and despair she felt when her stepmother called her in the middle of her shift to inform her that her father had been shot in the line of duty. As best as she could, Bella hurriedly explained to her boss what had occured before she made her way to the hospital. 

She was a mess of gut wrenching sobs and incoherent babbling she burst through the doors of the emergency ward in search of her father. Her stepsister, Leah, ironically had been one of the nurses on duty that night and had told Bella that her stepmother, Sue, was so overcome with grief that she was unable to make any decisions pertaining to Charlie’s care. Without hesitation, Bella signed all of the necessary documents, giving the hospital permission to conduct the surgery that Charlie required while simultaneously becoming the one who would be legally required to pay all of Charlie’s medical bills.

So here she was, just eight days later: over fifty thousand dollars for Charlie’s medical bills, twenty five thousand for her student loans, another couple of thousands for Sam and his crew for the construction materials they needed to fix up her father's house as well as their labour and now, according to Sue, the nurse that Sue had hired to help with Charlie’s care was asking for one thousand dollars a week. 

When Bella had asked Sue if Sue would be able to at least handle some of Charlie’s care so that they would be able to save some money, Sue had informed Bella that she was an elderly woman and she should not be made to place such a strain on her body. Bella was also told by her stepmother that she should stop being such a penny pinching bitch and do what she needs to do.

All Bella could think about was how she was going to pay for all of it. Her measly savings of ten thousand was already gone. She was able to work out a payment plan with the hospital and the hospital had also been gracious enough to defer the payments by a couple of months. It was their way of saying thank you to their Chief of Police. The agreement she had with the nurse was that she was to be paid at the end of the week so Bella had all of five days to find that money and Sue was adamantly refusing to touch any of her and Charlie’s money saying that it had been put aside for Seth’s college fund. 

Additionally, Bella was very sure that she didn't have a job to go back to at The Cliffs. Her boss, Jamie, was a decent guy even if the patrons of the bar left much to be desired. He called and checked in with her every day; always asking if she was taking care of herself and making sure she ate the food he sent but as great of a friend Jamie was to her, she knew that she could not have taken the last days off like she did without any consequences. The last time they spoke and she mentioned coming back to work he told her to not worry about it and that they would talk about it after she got Charlie settled at home. 

Well that day had come. 

All she was waiting for was the final signature for Charlie’s discharge to be completed and as soon as she got Charlie to his house and settled, she was going to head over to the bar. Having that job was the only way she could keep from drowning in the financial hole she was in.

Looking at Charlie as he rested, his signature moustache twitching in his sleep, Bella could not find it in her to regret her decisions though. As quietly as she could, Bella pulled out the tiny, tattered notebook she used to keep track of her measly savings and began to plan her expenses for the next month.

Utterly depressed and unable to find a solution to her financial woes, Bella snuck out of Charlie’s room to get a cup of coffee. She could not have been gone more than five minutes but when she returned, her father was already awake.

“That was a short nap,” Bella commented. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, thank you. My knee feels kind of stiff but Cheryl said to expect that.” Charlie hissed as he pulled himself into a more seated position. “Did you hear from Sue?” 

“I did. She left a voice message. She will meet us at the house. Seth does not have football practice today so he’ll be around to help until the nurse gets there in the morning,” Bella said between sips of her coffee.

“Bella, I promise you that as soon as I get the paperwork filed and the workman’s compensation comes through, I will be paying you back every cent you spent behind me and then some,” Charlie said vehemently. 

“Don't worry about it,” Bella responded. “Let’s see about getting you on your feet.”

“To hell with getting on my feet!” Charlie shouted in a very uncharacteristic burst of anger. “You are my daughter. I should be the one taking care of you. None of this should be your expense. Not a single dollar of your money should be spent on me.”

Before their conversation could go any further, Charlie’s doctor and former friend, Dr. Billy Black walked in. 

“So it took you twelve years to figure out that Bella is your daughter?” Billy remarked sarcastically as he pulled his pen from his pocket before reaching for Charlie’s file. 

“Today is not the day, Black,” Charlie growled; his hatred for Billy oozing from him.

“What are you going to do?” Billy taunted as he continued to read through Charlie’s file. “Put me out on the streets?”

“Enough,” Bella intervened as both men squared off. “Are you discharging him?”

“Yes,” Billy said, sneering one more time at the injured man before turning to the young woman in front of him with a soft smile. “But he has to take it slow. Remember we had to do a knee replacement because the bullet shattered his knee completely. I give him six months to make a full recovery.”

“I know. I know,” Charlie grumbled, already moving to swing his legs over the side of the bed in an attempt to hurry his departure forward.

“Don't brush this off, Charlie,” Billy scolded, his ponytail slipping over his shoulder as he turned to look at Charlie . “You are very lucky that you didn't lose that leg. If I had my way your ass would be here until you are at one hundred percent but your wife,” Billy spat, “had different plans.”

“Thank the Lord,” Charlie huffed, “No offense, but there are only so many times I can see your face in one week, Bill.”

“At whose expense?” Billy roared. “You are such a poor excuse for a father, Charlie. Aren't you ashamed of what you have done? Ashamed of what you allowed your wife to do? Ashamed of what she is still doing?”

“That's my wife that you're talking about,” Charlie spat as his monitors began to beep rapidly.

“And where the hell is she?” Billy rebutted. “Sue is my blood and I have no problems saying that she is a viper.”

“Dad. Pops. Come on. Stop this,” Bella pleaded, unsure of what she should do.

“I’ll leave it for now but only because you asked, Bug,” Billy said after he took a calming breath. “Your discharge papers are signed. Get him out of my hospital.”

“Thank you, Pops,” Bella mumbled embarrassment colouring her face.

Sensing her discomfort, Billy sighed before pulling Bella into a hug, “I’m sorry for my behaviour, Bug.”

“It's okay,” Bella whispered as she breathed in Billy’s comforting scent. It was always easier for her to show affection to Billy than Charlie. Maybe it was because Billy was never shy to show his affection for her. “I understand.”

“That's the problem. You have had to understand too many things in your life.” Billy whispered softly. “Will you be home later?”

“Yes. I just want to pass and talk to Jamie after I drop Charlie off,” Bella muttered, tightening her hold on Billy.

“Great. Jake and I are lighting up the grill.” Billy smiled, pulling back to place a soft kiss on Bella’s forehead. “Steaks are on the menu. Sarah is making mashed potatoes, her signature mushrooms and some apple pie. Well she’ll make the apple pie after I call and tell her how you would like some apple pie.”

“Can we leave now?” Charlie huffed as he averted his eyes from the pair. He would never admit how much it bothered him to see Billy comfort his daughter especially since he knew that Bella would never be receptive to Charlie comforting her.

“You do not get to be angry because Sarah and I picked up up the slack when you were too stupid to see the pure idiocy of what you were doing. I said it twelve years ago and I will say it over and over until you die. You are a moron, Charlie Swan.” Billy all but yelled.

Thankfully, at that moment, one of the nurses entered the room with a wheelchair.“Alright, Chief Swan,” she said brightly, completely unaware of the tension in the room, “I’ve got your wheelchair here and Seth is out front with the car to take you home.”

“Great. I have a viper to get home too,” Charlie shot at Billy who simply rolled his eyes and left Bella and the nurse to get Charlie dressed and out of the hospital. 

Seth, her always smiling and forever happy stepbrother, was waiting on them at the hospital doors. After several minutes of struggling, Charlie, all his bags and temporary wheelchair were all loaded into Seth’s car and Bella was left to follow in her own beaten up and barely-holding-it together truck.

As it always was in Forks, the copious amounts of rainfall made the roads slippery and difficult to maneuver especially in a truck that desperately needed new tyres. The exhaustion that began to slowly permeate her body forced her to crack her window to let the icy cold air blast against her face to keep her awake. 

The drive to her father’s home was short and she dreaded having to enter the house. Nothing changed since she lived there. The broken swing set was still in the front yard. The house was still that awful orange colour. Some of the windows needed to be replaced and it also was the place where all her childhood horrors occured. 

Through her rain splattered windscreen, she could already see the well wishers who had gathered to greet her father. Putting on a smile, she parked her truck, clambered out of the beast and made her way to the house. Seth was able to get Charlie out of the car and into his wheelchair. When Bella approached to help him, he playfully shoved her to the side so that he could wheel Charlie inside while some of Charlie’s deputies started to remove the bags from the car.   
With nothing left to do, Bella greeted some of those who were gathered before making her way into the house. All the while, she could already feel her stepmother’s glare upon her. No love gained there, she guessed. 

Bella worked quickly with Seth to get her father settled in his makeshift room on the first floor before quickly heading to the laundry room to throw in all of the clothes Charlie’s used during his stay at the hospital.   
She desperately hoped that she would be finished with all that she needed to do before her stepmother cornered her but her hope was all in vain.

“I see you are making yourself at home,” Sue Swan sneered as she stepped into the tiny laundry room.

“I was just putting my dad’s things to wash. I’ll be out of here shortly,” Bella replied, not stopping her task. The quicker she was done, the quicker she could leave.

“It's not like you have much of a choice. We don't have space for you,” Sue smirked evilly, repeating the words she had spat at Bella when she was only ten years old. 

Trying desperately to fight the tears that threatened to surface as old wounds began to open up, Bella turned to face the woman who took pleasure in tormenting her. “Is there something else you needed, Mrs. Swan?”

“Why you little bitch!” Sue roared, raising her hand to strike Bella.

“Mum! What is the matter with you?” Seth intervened, pulling down his mother’s hand. “ I could hear you from the kitchen.”

“She was insulting me,” Sue whirled around to look at her son, fake tears quickly spilling from her eyes.

“Don't even try that, Mum. You were the one causing trouble. Leave Bella alone. She has a right to be here,” Seth stated while rolling his eyes at his mother’s theatrics. 

Letting out a stifled scream, Sue pushed past her son and left the stepsiblings behind. 

“You really should not have done that,” Bella scolded softly. 

“It's about time I did do something,” Seth confessed with a sheepish look on his boyish face.

“Not your battle, Bro,” Bella threw back at him before shutting the machine.

“ I think it's time I get to pick my battles. After all, I’m fifteen now,” Seth teased as he wiggled his eyebrows and flexed his growing biceps. 

“Okay, fifteen year old,” Bella laughed as she reached into her pocket and pulled out forty dollars and handed it to him. “Dinner is on me. Call up for some pizza.” 

Before Seth could refuse, she stood on her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before leaving the laundry. She quickly checked on Charlie, who was already engrossed in a baseball game on television, and then hurried out to her truck.

As soon as she was in her truck, she sent a quick message to Jamie, her boss, asking him if he was at the bar. She got his confirmation quickly and she did not hesitate to head in that direction.

The Cliffs, the bar she worked at, was a seedy little establishment. The building which housed the bar was in desperate need of repairs. The paint from the exterior was long gone and so was the sign above the door. So many windows had been broken in bar fights, that all of the windows had been boarded up. The interior was in desperate need of a deep cleaning. The place stank of old beer and was permanently clouded in cigarette smoke. There were holes in the drywall and several of the booths were in need of upholstery. How the health department had not shut down this place yet was anyone's guess. 

The Cliffs also catered to a very particular clientele. The men and women who frequented the bar were not known for being law abiding citizens. They were known for causing mischief and mayhem wherever they went. The less you knew about The Cliffs patrons, the better it was for you. In fact, it was a patron of The Cliffs that shot off her father's knee after her father pulled over the man for speeding.

As dangerous as it was for her to work there, Bella had no choice. Until a vacancy opened up at one of the schools in Forks, she had no option but to take the one job she could find. The pay was not too bad either. It was enough to keep her fed and clothed while the tips she made were substantial enough that she was using it to help pay off her student loans.

It took Bella a twenty minute drive before she was pulling into the gravel parking lot in front of The Cliffs. She could already decipher out the cars of several of their regulars though a convoy of three heavily tinted and black coloured Range Rovers located directly in front of the entrance to the building, stuck out like a sore thumb. She quickly found a park and hurried to get into the bar and out of the rain. As she passed the Range Rovers, she couldn't help but try to see into the vehicles but the vehicles’ tint was so heavy that she could not see anything. 

“Bella!” Jamie exclaimed as soon as he spotted the petite woman coming through the door. 

Bella considered Jamie to be one of her dearest friends. It was easy to be intimidated by the man. Over six feet tall and able to bench press over three hundred pounds, Jamie scared the living daylights out of many of the people who interacted with him. He was gruff, blunt and had very little patience when it came to just about everything. The tattoos on his face and his untameable, long blonde hair certainly did not make him appear any friendlier to those around him. Add to the mix Jamie's unhealthy obsession with guns and the citizens of Forks gave him and his bar a wide breadth. 

Bella, however, thought of him as a big teddy bear. Since her return to Forks a year ago, he had been in her corner. When she showed up at The Cliffs asking if there were any job vacancies, Jamie immediately turned her down and sent her from the bar. A combination of Jamie’s rejection and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness sent Bella into a tailspin and she spent the next hour crying in her truck. That was where Jamie found her after he overheard some of his regulars talking about, “the blondie in the truck they wanted to fuck.”

Seeing her tear stained face and the anguish in her eyes, Jamie took pity on the young girl and invited her back into the bar where, after a few beers, Bella told him that she needed a job desperately to get on her feet. Aided by the amount of alcohol she consumed, Bella went further and told Jamie that she was living with a family friend since returning from college and was unable to even finance her own upkeep as she had little to no savings. She also told him her student loans needed to be paid.   
After hearing what Bella had to say and knowing a bit of what occured between Bella and her father, Jamie folded like a wet napkin and gave into the young woman though he gave her the job with the condition that she would work on the shifts that he worked. Unfortunately, that meant that she worked a lot of night shifts but he felt more comfortable knowing that he would always be on hand to protect her should one of the customers became too aggressive. 

So here they were several months since Bella started at The Cliffs. She was one of the best employees he ever had. She handled the rowdy customers beautifully and had gotten so well at sensing when trouble was brewing that they didn't have a bar brawl in about three months. 

To see her looking so haggard and dreary after spending just eight days taking care of her father left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

“Hey Jamie,” Bella muttered shyly, completely aware that every pair of eyes in the bar were now focused on her.

“Pull up a seat.” Jamie nodded towards the bar stool in front of him. “Let me tell Vicky to do a burger for you. Or do you want some wings?”

Before Bella could respond, Jamie turned to the window leading kitchen and began to bellow, “Yo, woman! Burger and fries! Medium rare and some of those honey barbecue wings!”

Within seconds, the red haired, tattooed bombshell who was The Cliffs’ night shift cook and Jamie’s girlfriend appeared at the window fuming. “Who the fuck are you hollering at? I will cut you, J! I ain’t afraid of prison.”

“Would you shut up! You are as dangerous as an ingrown toenail! Just a pain in my ass! Go cook! Bella’s hungry,” Jamie spat before gesturing to Bella who was looking at the exchange between the two in amusement. 

“Oh! Bella’s here? Hey girl! I missed you. You left me to deal with this flesh eating fungus.” Vicky smiled before turning back to sneer at Jamie, “Why didn't you say that? You tell me everything to do with the other assholes here but you can’t tell me when my girl is here?”

“Shut up and cook, woman!” Jamie groaned before slamming his hand on the top of the bar causing a man, who was nodding off in a drunken stupor at the other end of the bar, to jerk awake.

“Fuck you, J! You should be careful about eating anything I cook if I were you,” Vicky threatened before she stormed away to begin cooking.

“Is this some kind of foreplay for the two of you?” Bella stage whispered causing Jamie to groan.

“I don’t ever want to hear the word foreplay coming out of your mouth, Bella.” Jamie shuddered before a serious look took over his face. “So the Chief is home then?” Jamie asked, throwing a dish towel over his left shoulder before opening two beers, handing her one and keeping the other for himself.

“Yeah,” Bella sighed, hunching her shoulders slightly. “Billy gave him six months before he could make a full recovery.”

“That's a long time,” Jamie whistled.

“Don’t I know it. That's why I wanted to talk to you. Do I still have a job?” Bella asked cautiously. 

“I’m sorry, Bella,” Jamie said, remorse colouring his face.

“I understand,” Bella sighed, taking a drink from her beer. “I was kind of expecting it.”

“It’s not because of the time off, Bella. It's because some of the other staff on the day shift were stealing money and alcohol. The accountant was doing the books and he noticed the discrepancies. He reported his findings to my business partner and he had me fired everyone because without cameras, we can not pinpoint who was involved in the theft,” Jamie explained. “I tried to get him to leave you alone. I vouched for you but he has completed veto on who is employed.” 

“Damn!” Bella swore,“I really needed the job. Is there any way I can reapply?”

“Hey! Wasn't Edward looking for someone to hire to work for him?” Vicky interjected, making her way from the kitchen with the food Jamie had ordered. 

“He is,” Jamie nodded with a thoughtful look in his eyes.“But Bella may have to relocate.”

“Wait! Are you talking about Edward Cullen?” Bella asked in shock. “Is that who those Range Rovers out front belongs to?”

“Yup,” Jamie confirmed, turning to look at the office door where two armed men stood guard. “He’s in there right now.”

“That's your business partner?” Bella gaped at her boss in disbelief. 

“Yeah. I went through a rough patch and when I retreated to Forks, I didn't have a single dollar to my name. Edward found me, got me on the right track and gave me the capital to open this place up. Once every fortnight, he sends someone to check the books and if his accountant notices anything funny, Edward steps in.”

“Talk to him for her, J,” Vicky pleaded. “Bella is just the kind of person he would hire to work for him anyway and she is way too good for here.”

With a grunt, Jamie fell silent. Every once in a while, he would look over at Bella and then towards the office where Edward Cullen was sequestered. Neither Bella nor Vicky knew what to say though they could see that Jamie wss seriously considering approaching Edward on Bella’s behalf 

After several minutes, Jamie expelled a ragged breath and turned to address Bella. “Edward, like me, served in the Marines. I did two tours overseas. He did three. Being in a war changes you and when you get back home, you develop ways to cope. I turned to drugs and alcohol. He became a robot. I know you need a job and working for him would open a lot of doors for you but you have to be sure. He is one of the best men I know but he is also one of the most difficult and demanding assholes to walk the planet and I don't want you to get hurt.”

Bella was absolutely stunned. She had never heard Jamie speak so candidly about his time in the Marines and quite frankly it unsettled her. In the time that she had known him, he never hesitated to act on her behalf but here he was now, asking her to understand and for her to give him her permission as if he was about to throw her into the lion's den. Unsure about what to say, Bella just whispered, “You’re just asking for an interview, Jamie.”

For a few tense seconds afterwards, Jamie stared at Bella with such intensity that she found herself fighting the urge to look away. His glacier blue eyes met her warm brown ones and Bella felt as if Jamie was trying to read her soul. He must have found whatever he was searching for because he suddenly turned and left the two women who were both confused by the exchange.

“What the absolute fuck was that?” Vicky was clearly very worried for Jamie. She nervously chewed on her bottom lip, her blue eyes following him as Jamie stepped into the office after acknowledging the two men who stood guarding the door.

“I don't know,” Bella replied. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was racing. She reached over the bar and helped herself to a glass of water and forced Vicky to drink some as well. 

The two women spent the next few minutes staring at the office door in tense silence. Vicky even ignored the patrons who approached the bar for drinks. On one occasion, the men guarding the door turned towards the office, their hands going to the guns at their waist as if they needed to intervene in some struggle occurring within the office. Both Vicky and Bella let out startled gasps when they saw the men reaching for weapons since neither of the women knew the men carried firearms until that moment. 

Thankfully, Jamie came out of the office just seconds later panting as if he had run a marathon. Both women looked on in astonishment as Jamie made his way back to the bar and quickly downed two shots of tequila. Jamie’s entire body shook from barely concealed fury. 

“If he wasn't such a good guy, I would happily put a bullet in his head. You hear me, Cullen!” Jamie roared as he whirled around and put his fist through the drywall causing some of the glasses to rattle ominously. All the while, his blazing eyes remained locked on the office door that was still opened after he had stormed out.

“Babe!” Vicky gasped, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. Gently as she could, Vicky eased Jamie’s hand from the hole in the wall and placed his hand under the pipe to wash away the dust, splinters and blood that were covering his fist. Bella jumped into action and quickly retrieved the first aid kit from the kitchen. Both women worked quickly and in silence to clean and bandage Jamie’s hand. His occasional hisses of pain were his only acknowledgement that he was conscious of what was occuring. 

After treating his wounds, Vicky sat on top of the bar and pulled Jamie into a hug; making sure to wrap both her arms and legs around him. At first Jamie was unmoving; his arms remained hanging at his sides. As time passed though, Bella could see the calm slowly reentering Jamie, little by little, bit by bit until he pulled Vicky as close as he could and buried his face in her neck. 

Feeling as she was intruding on a very intimate moment, Bella busied herself by filling the drink orders for some of the customers. None of them were troubled by Jamie's outburst. They were only annoyed that their glasses were empty. By the time she returned to the bar after filling the order for a large group of bikers, Bella saw that Jamie and Vicky finally separated though they both were still within arms reach of each other.

“He agreed to give you an interview,” Jamie mumbled when Bella made it back to the bar, “Sorry if I scared you but Edward has that effect on people.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble.” Bella lowered her head in apology.

“You're not the trouble, Bella,” Jamie sighed. “He is. And thanks for the help with the drinks.”

“ No thanks needed. I know how these guys get without alcohol,” Bella joked. “When’s the interview?”

“That’s the thing. He is insisting that the only time he has to give you the interview is now,” Jamie spat, turning to glare at the office once more.

“Asshole,” Vicky sneered before shooting Bella a sympathetic smile.

“Now?” Bella gulped, her eyes widening in shock. “It's not possible. I don't have my resume. I’m not even dressed appropriately. I don't even know what the position is.”

“It's the best I can do.” Jamie shook his head in apology. “We have your resume on file from when you were hired here. He is using that one. I know it's sudden but this is what he does. He does things to throw people off their game.”

“What do I do?” Bella whispered helplessly.

“Your best.” Jamie smiled in a reassuring manner, giving her a pat on the back. “You’ve got this.”

Before any of them could say anything further, the larger of the two guards approached the trio.

“Good afternoon, Miss Swan. If you would please follow me. Mister Cullen shall see you now,” The beast of a man said, startling Bella.

After rolling her shoulders and taking a deep fortifying breath, Bella slid off her stool and followed the man to the office to meet the powerhouse, self made billionaire that was Edward Cullen.

All she could think was what did she get herself into.


End file.
